Healthy Beef and Lentil Bolognese (Printable Version)

Lean beef and lentils simmered with vegetables in a rich Italian-style sauce, perfect over pasta or rice.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz lean ground beef

→ Legumes

02 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Liquids

10 - 3 cups low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Herbs & Spices

12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried basil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Optional

17 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for serving)
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes with juice, and broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and sauce is thickened. Add more broth or water if needed.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Serve hot over whole wheat pasta, zucchini noodles, or rice. Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The lentils add such satisfying texture that nobody notices youre stretching the meat further
  • Its secretly packed with extra vegetables but tastes like pure comfort food
  • Make a huge batch on Sunday and youve got dinner sorted for half the week
02 -
  • Lentils continue absorbing liquid even after cooking, so the sauce will thicken considerably in the refrigerator overnight
  • The red bell pepper is my secret addition that adds natural sweetness most traditional recipes skip entirely
  • This sauce actually tastes better the next day when all those flavors have had time to really become friends
03 -
  • Rinse your lentils thoroughly before adding them to catch any small stones or debris
  • If the sauce becomes too thick, add warm broth instead of water to maintain the flavor depth

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